Japan and five Southeast Asian nations along the Mekong River have adopted a new three-year strategy centring on improving connectivity through the promotion of “quality infrastructure” building for regional development, state media reported.

The document endorsed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the leaders of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam at the Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting also cited human resource development and environmental protection as main pillars of cooperation.

On regional security, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to addressing tensions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes and the South China Sea, where China has been expanding its military clout, according to the document.